Motion and direction indicator for vehicles



Dec. 30, 1924. I 1,520,851

R. F. BROWN MOTION AND DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 16 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Snvexntoz attouwg Dec. 30, 924. 1,520,851

- R. F. BROWN MOTION DLREQTION INDICATOR FQR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 16, 1924 2 Sheets-:Sheet 2 A a v 4? Q E /))',,P v -y 45 /'7 I y z A;

Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,520,851 PATENT OFFICE.

RAY' BROWN, on CHESTER, IOWA.

MOTION AND DIRECTION INDTGATOR FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed February 16, 1924. Serial No. 693,310.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that RAY F. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county of Howard and State of Iowa, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motion and Direction Indicators for Vehicles,of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to a motion and direction signal for vehicles and has more times of the intentions of the driver of the vehicle upon which my improved slgnal is disposed.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a signal of this character that will be positive in its operation and one that is not liable to become readily out of order,-

the same including but few parts and these corelated in such a manner as to reduce the possibility of disarrangement to a, minimum..

An additional object is to provide a direction indicator for vehicles that may also function as a tail light while the vehicle is moving in a straight path.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as the nature of the invention will be better understood, the same comprises the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,

shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed. V

In the drawings whereln like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the different views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a motor vehicle equipped with a signal constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the signal structure per se,

Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal cross sectional view thereof,

Figure 4 is a detail transverse cross sectional view of said signal indicating means per se,

Figure 5 is an end elevational view thereof, the end'cover plate of the before mentioned signal box casing being removed,

Figure 6 is a plan view of the strip of material formed, within the casing with transparent direction and motion indications thereon that forms an essential part of the rotary signal box disposed within said casing, and i Figure 7 is a top plan view of the steering wheel of the vehicle beneath which and secured to the steering post of the vehicle is .anoperating member for rotating the signal box within the casing to the desired position, said position being determined by an indicating segment also disposed upon said steering column beneath said steering wheel.

Now having particular reference to the drawings, my novel motion and direction indicator embodies the provision of a cylindrical shaped sheet metal, casing 5 open at its outer end and provided with a circular shaped hinged'lid 6. This casing 5 may be rigidly disposed upon one of the rear fenders of the vehicle A in any desirable manner and preferably through the medium of a bracket 7 of the type disclosed in Figure 1.

Disposed within an opening 8 within said cylindrical casing 5 is a lamp bulb socket 9 that is adapted to receive an electric lamp 10 that will obviously be disposed within said casing in the manner as clearly shown in Figure 4. This lamp socket 9 is electrically connected to preferably the storage battery of the vehicle in any well known manner, and in the line of circuit between said socket and said storage battery there is prefe'rably'disposed a hand switch whereby the current may be completed between said lamp and said s'torage'battery for obviously illuminating the casing 5 whenever the same becomes desirable.

Adapted to be journaled within registering openings in the closed end of the cylindrical casing 5 and the hinged lid 6 is a longitudinal shaft 11 that is headed at one as at 12 and screw threaded at its opposite end for receiving nuts 13 whereby the lid 6 will be maintained closed and said shaft maintained operatively disposed within the casing.

Adapted to be slidably keyed upon this shaft 11 within said cylindrical casing is a signal means designated ii-generally by "the reference character 14:. The same comprises a pair of spaced plates or disks 15-15,and

5 a sheet of heavy material 16 that is of such a length that when seen-red at its opposite end to said disks 15-15 but substantially half of these disks will ibe surrounded by said sheet of material. This sheet of matelU Tl'ail is formed with transparent indicating indicia in spaced relation to each other, the

same being the "indicating words Left,

Stop, and Right. In -:addition to "these 7 indicating words, this sheet of "material is 15 also i orm ed or provided with a cross strip of trans'lu'cent material 17 preferably of the color red.

Upon the outer side of cne 10f zsaiid disks 1:5 is a cable rp'trl ley 18, While :connected at EU one end to a pin 19 carried adjacent theiedge 0 f tl1e other o'f s'aid disks, is a coil spring 20 *that "-is rigidl y connected at :its opposite end as at 2 1 to the signala'box casing 5 and in t his instance, it is to be understood that the action of this spring normally maiiitainsthe signal means id in such ra position within the casing as to :dispose ithe trans'lucent strlp of material 117 of isasidrsigna l strip rat a point directly in back of a window 22 positioned 50 within an opening '23 in the lORlEBl side of said casing 5.

Gonnecte l at one end to said cable pnlley 18, is a cable "24 that extends forwardly through an iepen'i'ng in the casing 5 and 35 thence downwardly rower :gnide pulleys cair- =1 ied by the velricleian'dithenibeneath'the runn ing board of ithe vehicle. This cable is then passed irpwardly through an opening an the running Iboard 'a'nd iattached :at its opposite 10 end to an arm 25 formed upon the flower end 'of an operating lever 26. This opera'ting lever 26 is rotalta bliy disposed within an opening formed inlasegment $27 that is rigidly secured lto the steering column B of the 'in'otor vehicle A. This segment 27 is formed with indicating letters L, S, and R,

:as well indicating aneans for the remaining indication "of ithe signal box within the casing.

from the ,foregeing, it will at once be apparent that :dirring the ordinary diranel of the vehicle the operating lever 26 is so ,p'ositioned as to maintain the signal box 14 within the casing so :as :to q} osition the transe5 lucent strip of material 71?? of dihe signal box 1d directly rearward-1y of the window 22 in said casing 5 and when the bulb 10 is illusmin'ated, this will indicate that the driver of the vehicle intends to proceed in a straight path.

The spring 20 serves as a means for main taming the signal box in the position shown in Figures 4 and 5, and when the operator fQIf the vehicle 3111l1611l$ to make a right or left land turn or bring his machine to a stop, he moves the operating @leverc26 \lEO the desired point on "the segment :27, after which the :prcper indicating indicia of the signal box will lbe -broirght to view "behind said window 22 of the casing for thereby Warning drivers approaching cars of the intent-ions of the operator of the vehicle upon which the signal is installed.

The specific operation, together with numerous advantages of a inaction iand direction signal -of this character will be at ence lappreciated by those skilled in the art and even though I have iherein .set forth the most practical embodiments of the invention with which Lam at this time riiain ilianit is never- -theless to ibe understood that minor changes be made in "the invention without departing from the spirit .and scope of the apgpended cl-aim.

-H-aving thus described llILVGIItiOH what ilclaiim .as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

A vehicle signal comprising aicylin'drical casing :closed (at one end and open at its opposite end, a hinged cover for the last named end, a vrotor xinsertible into the casing :throngh theopen end, said ,roto r :bein g .provided wath a shaft ,iourna lled in bearing (openings in said closed end andcover, an 'arcuate transparent signal carrying sheet vided with a sight opening ltlhroirgh which the signals on said sheet are rendered vlsilile, spring means connected at one end ate the rotor and :anchored at its apposite end to the F. BROWVN.

l. '95 earned by said rotor, said easing being pro- 7 

